Lot's happening this week, especially for LA-area soap fans! On Thursday, February 10th, The Big Brothers of Greater Los Angeles is holding their annual bachelor auction. Over 40 bachelors, including soap stars Rodney Van Johnson (TC, Passions), Dan McVicar (Clarke, B&B), and Michael Saucedo (Juan, GH) will whisk the highest bidders off on the dream dates of their lives!

"Big Brothers is a great organization," said Dan McVicar. "It provides mentors for kids. Often kids without fathers, who have a need for a male influence in their life, or are at risk for getting in trouble because they don't have a positive role model." The fourth of 12 children, McVicar can relate to the premise behind the organization. "The concept of a big brother is easy for me to grasp!" he said with a laugh.

Due to McVicar's schedule and traveling, he is not available to be an "official big brother," but he is happy to participate in the auction to help raise much needed funds. The father of a 12-yr old son and a 9 yr-old daughter, he strives to be a good role model for the young boys in the neighborhood where he lives, and has even been a cub scout leader.

According to Cynthia Tirado, coordinator of the Big Brothers auction, the mission of the Big Brothers of Greater Los Angeles is to foster the potential of fatherless boys as they grow into adulthood by providing support from positive adult male role models through a variety of mentoring programs. But, the auction itself is another story!

"It's probably not the best role model example for the kids," laughed McVicar, "but it gives a lot of women a chance to have some fun while raising money for the organization. It can actually get a little embarrassing," he said with a laugh. "It has a tendency to turn into something akin to Chippendales!" He speaks from experience. This will be his second auction!

"There is a great deal of pride on everyone's part as to how much they go for," said McVicar. Bidding can reach several thousand dollars. "I was one of the five top bachelors last year," McVicar said with a laugh. "But I'm a year older now, so we'll see!"

According to McVicar, last year's auction included a set of buffed firefighter twins who were quick to remove their shirts, much to the delight of the audience. "Frankly, I'm a little embarrassed by all that," said McVicar. So he did something slightly different. "With all that stripping, I decided it was out of control. So I went out wearing a suit. I took off the jacket. I took off the shirt. Underneath was a T-shirt. I took off the T-shirt and had another T-shirt on! It was pretty funny. I took off that T-shirt and there was another T-shirt!" he said with a chuckle. All in fun, and a good gimmick to raise the bid! What's McVicar's gimmick for this year? You'll have to go to the auction and see!

McVicar is looking forward working with his new costar Sarah Buxton, formerly of Sunset Beach, and he's delighted she has joined the cast of B&B. "Sarah fits in with the Bold and the Beautiful because she is beautiful," he said. "She has a tremendous energy, and sense of humor. I admired her work on Sunset Beach, and I consider myself fortunate because she is now on our show, and because I get to work with her." Although he was not at liberty to reveal the details of their upcoming story, he did say things should be heating up for Clarke Garrison soon! Watch for the Sarah to begin airing around the 18th of February.

You can visit McVicar at http://www.danmcvicar.com and join his e-club! "It's free," he said. "And I'll send you email!"

For Passions Rodney van Johnson (TC), taking part in the auction was a no-brainer. "I was a big brother for four years in Tampa, Florida," he said. "I worked with two kids down there. The auction is a really good way for me to get back into it. To be honest, here in LA, I never had any time to do it, and then this Big Brother auction came up, so here I am!" He couldn't be more delighted when Big Brothers called and asked him to participate. "I had done a similar type auction down in Tampa, for a child abuse home, and we raised a lot of money. Hopefully, we will raise a lot of money this Thursday night! I hope I'll go for a decent price."

Rodney explained how the auctions usually work. "There might be a $150.00 minimum," he said. "Then, it's pretty much based on what the bachelor offers, or if he's a celebrity, how much he's liked. I am going to do something completely different. It should be interesting, and hopefully, it will generate a lot of money."

Although I pressed Rodney to give me a hint, all he'd say was that it was a surprise. "All the single women are going to have to come out and see it," he said with a laugh. "It will be respectful, because it is for Big Brothers." Rodney did say that it will involve a song. "I plan on singing the money out of the girls!" he declared. Stay tuned to Turtle-Run for more on Rodney coming soon!

Celebrities will comprise about 25% of the bachelors up for auction and also include Eric Palladino (Dr. Dave Malucci, ER), Cristian dela Fuente (Andres Diaz, Family Law), Patrick Fabian (Spencer, Time of Your Life), and Carlo Alazraqui (the voice of the Taco Bell Dog). One non-celebrity bachelor is offering a darn good date. Get this: He will fly the top bidder to NY, put her up in a private hotel suite, take her out on the town, and give her $1000 for a shopping spree.

The Big Brother Auction takes place Thursday, February 10, 2000 from 6 PM till whenever at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA. Tickets are $50.00 in advance or $60.00 at the door. Tables for ten are available for $600.00. Call 323 258-3333 to purchase tickets.

All My Children fans get ready for a date with Cameron Mathison (Ryan). This Friday, February 11th, from 8-10 PM ET, Cameron will chat live online at http://www.cocoapro.com, giving fans his secrets for making Valentine's Day sweet for your sweetheart. The chat is sponsored by Mars, Inc. the makers of M&Ms (R) and Dove (R) chocolates, who are launching this new website where consumers can learn the latest good news about one of America's favorite food -- chocolate. "Cameron is a big chocolate fan," said Mars Manager of External Affairs, Marlene Machut. "We're thrilled he'll be cutting the ribbon on our new site." Look for TRO's interview with Cameron regarding, romance, Valentine's Day, and his own personal tips for making it extra special coming soon!

Last but certainly not least, make a date every night this week with Wheel of Fortune, when the game show goes totally soap! Stars from all the LA-based soaps are teaming with fans and buying their vowels. From Days of Our Lives, Deidre Hall (Marlena), Drake Hogestyn (John), Jason Cook (Shawn-D), and Patrika Darbo (Nancy). From Port Charles, Kimberlin Brown (Rachel). From Y&R, Heather Tom (Victoria), Sharon Case (Sharon), Shemar Moore (Malcolm). From Passions, Lisa Huber (Gwen), Brook Kerr (Whitney). From B&BKatherine Kelly Lang (Brooke); and from General Hospital, Rebecca Herbst (Liz) and A Martinez (Roy). The stars will be donating their winnings to their favorite charities. The fans play for cash and prizes. For more info visit http://www.soapcity.com or http://www.wheeloffortune.com